Ecuadorian government provides free reconstructive surgery for infant

A seven-month-old baby from San Vicente received free reconstructive surgery to correct a congenital malformation at the Miguel Hilario Alcívar General Hospital in Bahía de Caráquez, Manabí.

The infant was born with unilateral macrostomia, a condition causing abnormal widening on one side of the mouth that can impede feeding, lip closure, and speech development. A surgical team consisting of pediatric, maxillofacial, and anesthesiology specialists performed a three-hour reconstructive cheiloplasty to reposition the left labial commissure.

Medical officials noted that while such a procedure could cost more than USD 3,000 in the private sector, it was provided at no cost through the Ministry of Public Health as part of specialized care initiatives by the administration of President Daniel Noboa.